Barnburner Alert: Jeremy Stephens Replaces Yves Edwards vs. Donald Cerrone at UFC on FUEL 3

Have you heard? Jeremy Stephens vs. Donald Cerrone!

It is rare feat in mixed martial arts when a replacement fighter actually increases the interest for a fight, so that makes this particular announcement all the more interesting. It appears that Yves Edwards has suffered an undisclosed injury that has forced him to withdraw from his upcoming UFC on FUEL 3 lightweight fight with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Luckily, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has found literally the PERFECT opponent to replace Edwards, Iowa power puncher Jeremy Stephens, in a fight that is now all but guaranteed to be a slugfest.

We last saw “Lil’ Heathen” at UFC 136, where he was out grappled by the likely next challenger to the UFC Lightweight title, Anthony Pettis, en route to a split decision loss. Prior to that, Stephens had scored two straight, KO’ing Marcus Davis out of a Zuffa contract at UFC 125…

…before almost ripping Danny Downes‘ arm off at the TUF 13 Finale. 

Have you heard? Jeremy Stephens vs. Donald Cerrone!

It is rare feat in mixed martial arts when a replacement fighter actually increases the interest for a fight, so that makes this particular announcement all the more interesting. It appears that Yves Edwards has suffered an undisclosed injury that has forced him to withdraw from his upcoming UFC on FUEL 3 lightweight fight with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Luckily, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has found literally the PERFECT opponent to replace Edwards, Iowa power puncher Jeremy Stephens, in a fight that is now all but guaranteed to be a slugfest.

We last saw “Lil’ Heathen” at UFC 136, where he was out grappled by the likely next challenger to the UFC Lightweight title, Anthony Pettis, en route to a split decision loss. Prior to that, Stephens had scored two straight, KO’ing Marcus Davis out of a Zuffa contract at UFC 125…

…before almost ripping Danny Downes‘ arm off at the TUF 13 Finale. 

7-6 in his octagon career, Stephens will be facing another tough test when he takes on Donald Cerrone, who had arguably the best 2011 of any fighter, scoring four straight in the UFC over Dennis Siver and Charles Oliveira among others. Unfortunately, on December 30th, Cerrone would get his ass whooped worse than Kevin Bacon’s in Animal House by Nate Diaz at UFC 141, which wasn’t a great way to ring in the new year. That being said, it looks like a good match just got even better, with all due respect to Yves. Prepare yourselves for three rounds of absolute war, ladies and gentlemen, because these two granite-chinned SOB’s don’t know how to put on anything else.

UFC on FUEL 3 goes down from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on May 25th, and features a featherweight showdown between Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung.

Who you got for this one?

-J. Jones

UFC 137 Undercard Live Blog: Vera vs. Marshall, Downes vs. Nijem, More

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Brandon Vera faces Eliot Marshall at UFC 137.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 137 live blog for the four non-televised bouts in support of tonight’s UFC pay-per-view card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Featured in these four Facebook bouts are Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall, Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem, Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi and Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks.

The live blog is below.




Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks

Round 1: Lots of circling early as Jacoby circles the outside of the cage. Starks lands a right cross but Jacoby takes it well. Tight right by Jacoby moments later. Starks answers back. Action is slow-paced but most of the strikes thrown have been power shots. Both men working hard with their footwork to cut off angles. Starks counters a hook with a right hand that scores. Starks goes to the body. One minute left. Starks chases Jacoby across the cage but doesn’t land much. Starks scores a takedown with :30 left. Jacoby hunts a kimura but Starks defends as the round closes. It’s Starks, 10-9.

Round 2: Hard right hand early by Jacoby, his best strike of the fight so far. Starks circles away, and looks fine. Jacoby uses a spinning heel kick that only partially connects. Left hook from Jacoby. Starks times a right that scores as Jacoby leans in. Starks takes Jacoby down with two minutes left. Jacoby does a good job keeping a tight guard but Starks occasionally sneaks in a right hand to the body or head. The late second is all Starks’, and he steals it away 10-9.

Round 3: The straight right is Starks’ money punch, and he lands it again early. The two exchange. Jacoby lands a knee from the clinch. Moments later, Starks shoots and takes him down. Jacoby keeps a tight guard but he’s behind and probably needs to be more aggressive. Starks passes to half-guard. Jacoby again looks for the kimura. Starks finally works his arm out of danger with 30 seconds left and lands some punches from the top. He’s going to take the round 10-9.

Winner: Clifford Starks via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi

Round 1: Carmont walks out with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in his corner to make his UFC debut. Carmont takes Camozzi down inside the first minute, but Camozzi uses the wall to get back to his feet. Camozzi pushes Carmont against the cage. Carmont punches his way out of the position. Camozzi tries to bully him again, pushing him into the corner. Carmont lands a few knees to the body. Carmont pulls Camozzi down but Camozzi pops right back up. Carmont throws a knee, then a pair of elbows. He’s showing some diverse offense. Relatively close round but Carmont takes it 10-9.

Round 2: Carmont lands a right hand and Camozzi moves inside to initiate the clinch against the fence. Carmont likes knees from in tight, and he’s landed a few any time he has the space. Camozzi is trying hard to crowd him. Carmont lands a right hand, backing Camozzi up. A nice exchange and Carmont gets the better of it. Carmont goes for the takedown, picks up Camozzi and slams him down on his back. Carmont on top with strikes and over a minute to work. Carmont looked up at the clock, Camozzi tried to take the opportunity to get up, and Carmont dropped him with a left hook. Carmont tried to finish but Camozzi covered up. Big round for Carmont 10-9.

Round 3: Carmont lands a series of strikes early. He backed up and Camozzi audibly swore, giving the crowd a laugh. Carmont is taking over the fight with his standup. Camozzi’s face has been bloodied since the second round and Carmont looks pretty much unmarked. Another Carmont takedown with two minutes left. Hammer strikes from the top until he pulls Carmont into his guard. Carmont lets him up and Camozzi comes up with a flying knee into a clinch. Time’s running short. Camozzi nearly had a kimura as time ran out. Carmont 10-9.

Winner: Francis Carmont via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem,

Round 1: Left hook by Nijem to open things. Nijem flurries in with a combination, the moves in for the takedown. Downes gets back up but Nijem tags him again with right hands. Nijem scores another takedown. Downes works free for a moment before Nijem drags him down. We’re up and down like musical chairs. Nijem finally takes Downes’ back and looks for the rear naked choke. Downes defends that but Nijem throws strikes to free up his neck. He looks for the choke again. Downes gets free with over a minute left. He has little time to accomplish anything. Nijem takes him down again and gets right to his back. It’s a very one-sided round, and it’s Nijem’s 10-9.

Round 2: Much better start to round two for Downes, who briefly had Nijem in an inverted triangle. Nijem got free though, and took Downes to the ground again. He immediately mounted Downes, who gave up his back. Nijem went for the rear naked choke again. Downes fought it off. Nijem looked for an Americana, Downes scrambled free. Nijem’s basically having his way with him, even if he can’t get the finish. He’s been riding Downes’ back for most of the round. Downes is surviving, but it’s one-sided, 10-9.

Round 3: Nijem faked a takedown and fired off some offense that landed. Downes circled away but Nijem followed him for another takedown. The round then settles into the same thing that’s come before it. Nijem in top position looking for a finish but Downes resisting. Another rear naked choke try from Nijem. With this one, he had the body triangle in and still couldn’t finish. It’s going the distance, and it’s going to be Nijem’s 10-9. Could easily be a 10-8 as well.

Winner: Ramsey Nijem via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall

Round 1: Vera attacking the legs and body early with kicks. Vera then jumps into a flying knee. They clinch against the cage until Vera pushes off and they re-set in the middle. Marshall flurries with a combo, and Vera answers with a right cross before another clinch. It’s a stalemate and the ref breaks them up with a minute left. Vera still attacking the legs with low kicks. Marshall tries a high kick near the final horn that misses. Vera takes a slow round 10-9.

Round 2: Pace picks up to start the second. Vera just misses on a head kick and Marshall goes low, looking for the takedown. Marshall grinds him into the fence. The two jockey for position until Vera takes him down with three minutes left. Vera to half-guard, and drops elbows from the position. Marshall gets back to his feet and Vera fires off a hard knee from the clinch. They move back to the center with 20 seconds left. Marshall connects with a left hook near the close. It’s Vera’s 10-9.

Round 3: Marshall staggers Vera early with a right hand. Marshall then drops him with a right. Vera is in trouble as Marshall throws blows from the top. Vera covers up and gets to his feet. Marshall lands another hard left hand before Vera can initiate a clinch and give himself recovery time.

 

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Brandon Vera faces Eliot Marshall at UFC 137.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 137 live blog for the four non-televised bouts in support of tonight’s UFC pay-per-view card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Featured in these four Facebook bouts are Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall, Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem, Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi and Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks.

The live blog is below.




Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks

Round 1: Lots of circling early as Jacoby circles the outside of the cage. Starks lands a right cross but Jacoby takes it well. Tight right by Jacoby moments later. Starks answers back. Action is slow-paced but most of the strikes thrown have been power shots. Both men working hard with their footwork to cut off angles. Starks counters a hook with a right hand that scores. Starks goes to the body. One minute left. Starks chases Jacoby across the cage but doesn’t land much. Starks scores a takedown with :30 left. Jacoby hunts a kimura but Starks defends as the round closes. It’s Starks, 10-9.

Round 2: Hard right hand early by Jacoby, his best strike of the fight so far. Starks circles away, and looks fine. Jacoby uses a spinning heel kick that only partially connects. Left hook from Jacoby. Starks times a right that scores as Jacoby leans in. Starks takes Jacoby down with two minutes left. Jacoby does a good job keeping a tight guard but Starks occasionally sneaks in a right hand to the body or head. The late second is all Starks’, and he steals it away 10-9.

Round 3: The straight right is Starks’ money punch, and he lands it again early. The two exchange. Jacoby lands a knee from the clinch. Moments later, Starks shoots and takes him down. Jacoby keeps a tight guard but he’s behind and probably needs to be more aggressive. Starks passes to half-guard. Jacoby again looks for the kimura. Starks finally works his arm out of danger with 30 seconds left and lands some punches from the top. He’s going to take the round 10-9.

Winner: Clifford Starks via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi

Round 1: Carmont walks out with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in his corner to make his UFC debut. Carmont takes Camozzi down inside the first minute, but Camozzi uses the wall to get back to his feet. Camozzi pushes Carmont against the cage. Carmont punches his way out of the position. Camozzi tries to bully him again, pushing him into the corner. Carmont lands a few knees to the body. Carmont pulls Camozzi down but Camozzi pops right back up. Carmont throws a knee, then a pair of elbows. He’s showing some diverse offense. Relatively close round but Carmont takes it 10-9.

Round 2: Carmont lands a right hand and Camozzi moves inside to initiate the clinch against the fence. Carmont likes knees from in tight, and he’s landed a few any time he has the space. Camozzi is trying hard to crowd him. Carmont lands a right hand, backing Camozzi up. A nice exchange and Carmont gets the better of it. Carmont goes for the takedown, picks up Camozzi and slams him down on his back. Carmont on top with strikes and over a minute to work. Carmont looked up at the clock, Camozzi tried to take the opportunity to get up, and Carmont dropped him with a left hook. Carmont tried to finish but Camozzi covered up. Big round for Carmont 10-9.

Round 3: Carmont lands a series of strikes early. He backed up and Camozzi audibly swore, giving the crowd a laugh. Carmont is taking over the fight with his standup. Camozzi’s face has been bloodied since the second round and Carmont looks pretty much unmarked. Another Carmont takedown with two minutes left. Hammer strikes from the top until he pulls Carmont into his guard. Carmont lets him up and Camozzi comes up with a flying knee into a clinch. Time’s running short. Camozzi nearly had a kimura as time ran out. Carmont 10-9.

Winner: Francis Carmont via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem,

Round 1: Left hook by Nijem to open things. Nijem flurries in with a combination, the moves in for the takedown. Downes gets back up but Nijem tags him again with right hands. Nijem scores another takedown. Downes works free for a moment before Nijem drags him down. We’re up and down like musical chairs. Nijem finally takes Downes’ back and looks for the rear naked choke. Downes defends that but Nijem throws strikes to free up his neck. He looks for the choke again. Downes gets free with over a minute left. He has little time to accomplish anything. Nijem takes him down again and gets right to his back. It’s a very one-sided round, and it’s Nijem’s 10-9.

Round 2: Much better start to round two for Downes, who briefly had Nijem in an inverted triangle. Nijem got free though, and took Downes to the ground again. He immediately mounted Downes, who gave up his back. Nijem went for the rear naked choke again. Downes fought it off. Nijem looked for an Americana, Downes scrambled free. Nijem’s basically having his way with him, even if he can’t get the finish. He’s been riding Downes’ back for most of the round. Downes is surviving, but it’s one-sided, 10-9.

Round 3: Nijem faked a takedown and fired off some offense that landed. Downes circled away but Nijem followed him for another takedown. The round then settles into the same thing that’s come before it. Nijem in top position looking for a finish but Downes resisting. Another rear naked choke try from Nijem. With this one, he had the body triangle in and still couldn’t finish. It’s going the distance, and it’s going to be Nijem’s 10-9. Could easily be a 10-8 as well.

Winner: Ramsey Nijem via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall

Round 1: Vera attacking the legs and body early with kicks. Vera then jumps into a flying knee. They clinch against the cage until Vera pushes off and they re-set in the middle. Marshall flurries with a combo, and Vera answers with a right cross before another clinch. It’s a stalemate and the ref breaks them up with a minute left. Vera still attacking the legs with low kicks. Marshall tries a high kick near the final horn that misses. Vera takes a slow round 10-9.

Round 2: Pace picks up to start the second. Vera just misses on a head kick and Marshall goes low, looking for the takedown. Marshall grinds him into the fence. The two jockey for position until Vera takes him down with three minutes left. Vera to half-guard, and drops elbows from the position. Marshall gets back to his feet and Vera fires off a hard knee from the clinch. They move back to the center with 20 seconds left. Marshall connects with a left hook near the close. It’s Vera’s 10-9.

Round 3: Marshall staggers Vera early with a right hand. Marshall then drops him with a right. Vera is in trouble as Marshall throws blows from the top. Vera covers up and gets to his feet. Marshall lands another hard left hand before Vera can initiate a clinch and give himself recovery time.

 

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TUF Finalist Ramsey Nijem Hopes Lightweight Return at UFC 137 Puts Him Back on Track

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For young fighters trying to make their names through the UFC‘s “Ultimate Fighter” series, it doesn’t get more pressure-filled than the TUF finals.

Ramsey Nijem experienced the pressure first-hand in June at the TUF 13 Finale against Tony Ferguson. But it wasn’t the pressure that led to his loss.

Nijem told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” that it was his pride that got in the way, and that, along with a Ferguson left, saw his dream of being a TUF champion go out the window.

“It wasn’t nerves as much as my pride got to me a little bit,” Nijem said of his knockout loss to Ferguson. “Tony’s a really good striker, hits hard and has good head movement. People said, ‘You’ll get knocked out if you stand with him,’ and the critics were right on that. I just learned from that to play to my strengths and not play to their strengths.”



Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC), who trains at The Pit Elevated camp in Utah along with TUF 11 champ Court McGee, made his reputation in the TUF house as a fun-loving competitor who would go to just about any length for a laugh – including disrobing, leading to his “Stripper Ramsey” nickname catching on. He said bringing a relaxed attitude to his fight game should help him get back in the win column – but if it doesn’t, he can live with it.

“I’m a much better fighter when I’m just out there having fun,” Nijem said. “As long as I’m just out there for the right reasons, I’ll be successful and won’t have any regrets after the fight. If I execute my game plan and still lose and have fun, that’s all I can expect out of myself.”

Nijem fought at welterweight on Season 13 of TUF, but for his UFC 137 fight Saturday against Danny Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC), he drops back to lightweight. It’s a weight he believes will be beneficial to him because of his size.

The Palestinian-American fighter, who wrestled collegiately at Utah Valley University, said 155 will be a tough cut for him, but one he thinks will pay off. He fought at lightweight once before moving to welterweight for a shot at the UFC in the spring during his TUF season.

“I was fighting at ’55 before I went on the show, kind of bouncing around between (lightweight and welterweight),” Nijem said. “I just feel my size can make up for my lack of experience in the ring. ’55’s a pretty big cut for me. If I was on the show at ’55 the season before, I don’t think I would’ve performed as well. ’70 was a good opportunity for the show, and be able to drop back down to ’55 after.”

Against Downes, Nijem faces an opponent also in search of his first UFC win. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter lost a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens at the TUF 13 Finale in June after going 1-1 in the WEC before the merger.

Nijem said he knew from seeing Downes’ fight against Stephens that he might be hard to finish, but believes his skill set can top Downes’.

“Danny is a tough opponent – he’s the kind of person you can never count out,” Nijem said “He’s in shape, he hits hard and he’s there to fight. He’s not easy to finish. But I feel I’m a better fighter, more explosive, more athletic and I’ll be bigger the day of the fight. I’m obviously the better wrestler and grappler. This is a winnable fight for me, but Danny’s tough and I’m … getting ready for a three-round grind.”

Nijem and Downes fight on the preliminary card of UFC 137 on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Their lightweight fight will be one of four prelims that will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook fan page.

UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight contenders bout between former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. That fight became the main event when welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had to pull out of his title fight against Carlos Condit with an injury last week.

 

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For young fighters trying to make their names through the UFC‘s “Ultimate Fighter” series, it doesn’t get more pressure-filled than the TUF finals.

Ramsey Nijem experienced the pressure first-hand in June at the TUF 13 Finale against Tony Ferguson. But it wasn’t the pressure that led to his loss.

Nijem told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” that it was his pride that got in the way, and that, along with a Ferguson left, saw his dream of being a TUF champion go out the window.

“It wasn’t nerves as much as my pride got to me a little bit,” Nijem said of his knockout loss to Ferguson. “Tony’s a really good striker, hits hard and has good head movement. People said, ‘You’ll get knocked out if you stand with him,’ and the critics were right on that. I just learned from that to play to my strengths and not play to their strengths.”



Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC), who trains at The Pit Elevated camp in Utah along with TUF 11 champ Court McGee, made his reputation in the TUF house as a fun-loving competitor who would go to just about any length for a laugh – including disrobing, leading to his “Stripper Ramsey” nickname catching on. He said bringing a relaxed attitude to his fight game should help him get back in the win column – but if it doesn’t, he can live with it.

“I’m a much better fighter when I’m just out there having fun,” Nijem said. “As long as I’m just out there for the right reasons, I’ll be successful and won’t have any regrets after the fight. If I execute my game plan and still lose and have fun, that’s all I can expect out of myself.”

Nijem fought at welterweight on Season 13 of TUF, but for his UFC 137 fight Saturday against Danny Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC), he drops back to lightweight. It’s a weight he believes will be beneficial to him because of his size.

The Palestinian-American fighter, who wrestled collegiately at Utah Valley University, said 155 will be a tough cut for him, but one he thinks will pay off. He fought at lightweight once before moving to welterweight for a shot at the UFC in the spring during his TUF season.

“I was fighting at ’55 before I went on the show, kind of bouncing around between (lightweight and welterweight),” Nijem said. “I just feel my size can make up for my lack of experience in the ring. ’55’s a pretty big cut for me. If I was on the show at ’55 the season before, I don’t think I would’ve performed as well. ’70 was a good opportunity for the show, and be able to drop back down to ’55 after.”

Against Downes, Nijem faces an opponent also in search of his first UFC win. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter lost a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens at the TUF 13 Finale in June after going 1-1 in the WEC before the merger.

Nijem said he knew from seeing Downes’ fight against Stephens that he might be hard to finish, but believes his skill set can top Downes’.

“Danny is a tough opponent – he’s the kind of person you can never count out,” Nijem said “He’s in shape, he hits hard and he’s there to fight. He’s not easy to finish. But I feel I’m a better fighter, more explosive, more athletic and I’ll be bigger the day of the fight. I’m obviously the better wrestler and grappler. This is a winnable fight for me, but Danny’s tough and I’m … getting ready for a three-round grind.”

Nijem and Downes fight on the preliminary card of UFC 137 on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Their lightweight fight will be one of four prelims that will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook fan page.

UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight contenders bout between former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. That fight became the main event when welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had to pull out of his title fight against Carlos Condit with an injury last week.

 

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The MMA Hour With KJ Noons, Roy Nelson, Dave Herman, Danny Downes, Chad Griggs

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The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday with another two-hour live show. Here’s a partial list of who will be stopping by:

* KJ Noons, who faces Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on Saturday night.

* UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson will discuss what’s next for him after his UFC 130 loss to Frank Mir.

* Dave Herman, who defeated John-Olav Einemo at UFC 131 and won the Fight of the Night award.

* Danny Downes, who became the talk of the MMA world following his loss to Jeremy Stephens at TUF 13 Finale.

* Chad Griggs, who faces Valentijn Overeem at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.

We’ll also look back at UFC 131 and ahead to Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.

And of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.

*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.

 

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The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday with another two-hour live show. Here’s a partial list of who will be stopping by:

* KJ Noons, who faces Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on Saturday night.

* UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson will discuss what’s next for him after his UFC 130 loss to Frank Mir.

* Dave Herman, who defeated John-Olav Einemo at UFC 131 and won the Fight of the Night award.

* Danny Downes, who became the talk of the MMA world following his loss to Jeremy Stephens at TUF 13 Finale.

* Chad Griggs, who faces Valentijn Overeem at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.

We’ll also look back at UFC 131 and ahead to Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.

And of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.

*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.

 

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TUF 13 Medical Suspensions: Kingsbury, Cope and Downes With Most Serious Injuries

Filed under: NewsTen fighters from Saturday’s UFC Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” handed down medical suspensions following their fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The most serious potential layoffs are for main card winners K…

Filed under:

Ten fighters from Saturday’s UFC Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” handed down medical suspensions following their fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The most serious potential layoffs are for main card winners Kyle Kingsbury (pictured) and Chris Cope, and preliminary card loser Danny Downes, all of whom could be out until early December.

The TUF 13 Finale took place at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas and featured a main event win by Tony Ferguson, who became the latest “Ultimate Fighter” winner with a knockout of Ramsey Nijem; and a co-main upset win by Clay Guida over Anthony Pettis. None of those three were given medical suspensions.

Kingsbury must have a fractured left orbital bone cleared by doctors, or he will be unable to fight until Dec. 2. His unanimous decision win over Fabio Maldonado was given the Fight of the Night bonus by UFC president Dana White.

Cope, a TUF 13 semifinalist, dominated housemate Chuck O’Neil for a unanimous decision. But he will need both his thumbs x-rayed and given clearance before coming back or he, too, will be out until Dec. 2.

And Downes, who lost to Jeremy Stephens on the prelims, will need a right hand x-ray, plus that hand and his left shoulder cleared before returning. Otherwise, he’ll be on the shelf until Dec. 2. In the fight, Stephens bent Downes’ left arm behind his back in a kimura, but Downes was able to withstand tapping.

The full list of medical suspensions is below.

Ramsey Nijem: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.

Tim Credeur: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5.

Kyle Kingsbury: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5. Must have left orbital fracture cleared by an ENT or ophthalmologist, or no contest until Dec. 2.

Fabio Maldonado: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5.

Chris Cope: Must have both thumbs x-rayed; if positive, must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor, or no contest until Dec. 2.

Danny Downes: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5. Must have right hand x-rayed, and right hand and left shoulder must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor, or no contest until Dec. 2.

Josh Grispi: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 19.

Shamar Bailey: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.

Justin Edwards: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.

Ken Stone: Suspended until Aug. 4 with no contact until July 20.

 

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TUF 13 Finale GIF: My God, How Did Danny Downes Not Tap to That?

Jeremy Stephens Danny Downes TUF 13 finale kimura
(GIF is after the jump, courtesy of IronForgesIron via MiddleEasy.)

I figured him to be tough, but I did hear his arm pop three times when I had the deep kimura. I was trying to finish or break his arm, and I was telling the referee, ‘Hey, it’s broke, it’s broke’, but he is a tough guy. It didn’t really surprise me, but man, props to him.”

– So says Jeremy Stephens (to HeavyMMA) who nearly went home with the arm of Roufusport lightweight prospect Danny Downes during the second round of their preliminary card bout on Saturday night. Stephens eventually gave up on the kimura when Downes wouldn’t tap, but continued to beat the tar out of him en route to a unanimous decision. (30-26 x 2, 30-27)

Jeremy Stephens Danny Downes TUF 13 finale kimura
(GIF is after the jump, courtesy of IronForgesIron via MiddleEasy.)

I figured him to be tough, but I did hear his arm pop three times when I had the deep kimura. I was trying to finish or break his arm, and I was telling the referee, ‘Hey, it’s broke, it’s broke’, but he is a tough guy. It didn’t really surprise me, but man, props to him.”

– So says Jeremy Stephens (to HeavyMMA) who nearly went home with the arm of Roufusport lightweight prospect Danny Downes during the second round of their preliminary card bout on Saturday night. Stephens eventually gave up on the kimura when Downes wouldn’t tap, but continued to beat the tar out of him en route to a unanimous decision. (30-26 x 2, 30-27)